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[hyduK]

Unplug and replug every power and data connector.

Just heading to work but I'll give this a shot when I get home. I should also note that whenever I unplug the computer for a while (did it a couple times to check cables) it seems to make it farther into startup on the first boot, then gradually begins to freeze faster each time. Ie. first time I'll get to the windows installation, then I'll only get to bios, then bios again but it won't last as long, and eventually I can't even make it there.

What's your PSU? Is your current build more power hungry? When my AX850 went bad my PC started rebooting randomly (sometimes in BIOS, sometimes after a week of running games without

It's an OCZ 500 modstream. It was working fine 10 minutes before I started my build (it's from my old pc). In regards to build differences I swapped:

an early Core 2 duo (e5200....don't have the mobo name handy)
stock cooler
4gb ram
2 HDDs and a DVD Drive

For:
3770k
Thermaltake 212+ evo
P8Z77-V Pro
8gb corsair vengeance
crucial m4 128

I've unhooked all my drives besides the ssd for now. Also, the video card remains the same (gtx460). I don't have any additional cards (sound, wireless, etc.)

Based on the symptoms it definitely looks like a power issue, but at the same time it was working yesterday (on the old pc) and Im doubting the upgrade to the CPU/mobo/cooler would somehow put it over the top. I don't have an extra PSU to test so I'd like to eliminate other possibilities before I buy one. I don't think it's the CPU overheating...despite the fan error thing it seems to be running cool. Maybe mobo?

 

[J-Rzez]

Hey guys, I'm getting some spotty details thus far on:

- When are the 4gb 680's going to start popping up, EVGA specifically.

- How are the newest gen of SSDs holding up thus far? I was hoping this was the time I'd jump on the SSD train.

 

[UrbanRats]

Since i can't find a Coolermaster Hyper 212+ for a decent price, near my area, is the Hyper TX3 EVO a good alternative? I read it has push-pin installations, instead of a backplate, is that gonna hold well?

 

[Yoritomo]

Since i can't find a Coolermaster Hyper 212+ for a decent price, near my area, is the Hyper TX3 EVO a good alternative? I read it has push-pin installations, instead of a backplate, is that gonna hold well?

The new model is the Hyper 212 Evo

 

[scogoth]

Just a quick bump on this. I know that last night when I was installing some programs and I played some Deus Ex for a test, the CPU did not appear to get much hotter. But I dont think I saw the fans turn back on. (one was on and one was off)

When I boot, they both spin.

Are they both plugged into the CPU fan header via a splitter? If one is plugged into the CPU fan header and the other a chassis or sys header then your motherboard may spin down the second one on lower temps. They should both be plugged into the CPU fan header.

 

[ParityBit]

Are they both plugged into the CPU fan header via a splitter? If one is plugged into the CPU fan header and the other a chassis or sys header then your motherboard may spin down the second one on lower temps. They should both be plugged into the CPU fan header.

The fans are plugged directly into the H100 controller which in turn are plugged into the motherboard CPU header fan.

 

[kharma45]

Love you bro, Ty for the advice I have been out of the gpu market for a bit, I'll wait it out.

From what I've read about the 670 its going to cost a hell of a lot more than the 7850, I'll try to get some links when I'm not on my phone.

I'd recommend the 7850 and OC the nuts off it, I'd looked at the 560 448 but the 7850 was the better card especially after OCing.

 

[I H8 Memes]

3570kIB or 2500kSB?

I don't know who to listen to. The 2500 should be just as fast for games, others say the 3570 is faster at the same clockspeed (how the fuck does that even work?). That thermal paste in the IB proc looks dodgy. But I hate buying the 'old' processor when the new one is just 25 euro more.

What happened to the good old days when choosing a processor wasn't more difficult than just picking the highest amount of MHZs your budget would allow?

In the good old days the Athlon 64 3200+ at 2.2 Ghz smoked an Intel at 3.2 Ghz. Nothings changed. Architecture, efficiency, cache size, fsb speed, all of that together is what makes one cpu better than another.

That said, I recently bought a 2500k myself and the 3570 doesn't give me any buyers remorse. It's not a chip that I look at and wish that I had that one instead of the one I have now. I'm sure the chip that will do that to me is right around the corner though. It always is. : D

 

[TxdoHawk]

I have no idea what it could be. Skyrim runs on ultra with FXAA at 60FPS fine.

Didn't Tera just come out? If you aren't running the latest beta GFX drivers you may want to give them a shot, or if you are running beta drivers you may want to try switching back to the last normal release.

Edit: I'm going to throw in a question here...running an i5 2500k stock speed, stock cooler, My cores get to 69 degrees celcius under max load running Prime95 after a few minutes. Does this sound about right?

 

[I H8 Memes]

That's about where I get on the stock cooler. It's a pos. But the temp itself isnt even close to being high enough to damage the cpu. It's still 30c or so below tj max.

 

[Squall ASF]

Major noob question, if I want a tower fan to be an exhaust, I face the fan blades inside the tower, right? So my one intake in the front should have the blades facing out of the tower?

 

[JaseC]

That said, I recently bought a 2500k myself and the 3570 doesn't give me any buyers remorse. It's not a chip that I look at and wish that I had that one instead of the one I have now. I'm sure the chip that will do that to me is right around the corner though. It always is. : D

Haswell is still a year away, so you're all good on that front. After flip-flopping numerous times, I myself have (finally) settled on the 2500K (or the 2600K if any Aussie retailers have it marked down come Monday), simply because of its superior overclockability negating Ivy's trivial clock-for-clock performance increase and PCI-E 3 not being at all necessary or even desirable at this juncture. Oh, and saving a few bucks doesn't hurt, either.

 

[ZetaEpyon]

Major noob question, if I want a tower fan to be an exhaust, I face the fan blades inside the tower, right? So my one intake in the front should have the blades facing out of the tower?

Yes, the frame is usually on the output side of the fan. Most fans will also have a pair of arrows somewhere on the outside that indicate the direction of rotation and the direction of the airflow.

 

[TheExodu5]

The concave side of the blades indicates that the air will come from that face.

 

[depward]

Really noob PC graphics card question.

I inherited a PC from my family. I'd like to play Diablo 3 on it (as well as maybe try out some other PC games). I have no idea where to start with knowing where / how to find a graphics card. I read through the OP and some pages in the thread and I started kinda becoming a bit familiar with some terminology and stuff but still very beginner.

First, the computer:

AMD Sempron 145 Processor
2.80 GHz, 2 GB of RAM
No graphics card?
Biostar a780l3b motherboard
430W Power Supply

So, my brother came over and cracked open the case. He confirmed I had no graphics card... so I definitely need one. Also - I have another slot open for RAM, so I'm thinking another 2 gig stick ought to do it.

I'm looking for graphics card recommendations probably around $100 if I can swing it that low. Probably $150 tops. I'm not looking for something to run D3 at MAX SETTINGS but something that would run it comfortably.

Thanks!

 

[longdi]

crucial 256gb ssd now 199 at amazon, newegg, buy blah bla...bla..
i bought at 128gb just a month ago at 150....

 

[Chris R]

Just got everything up and running:


Running a pair of Scythe Gentle Typhoons on the Hyper 212 Evo, overclocked to 4.4GHz @ ~1.25V. Seems to be a pretty decent balance of performance/heat/noise.

This thing is blazing fast. I came from a Q9550 running at 3.8GHz, with a Celeron G530 in this system as a holdover until Ivy was released.

Really nice looking build. Can you remove any of those HDD Bays or are they all connected together?

And I'm kinda glad that the 680 is basically OOS everywhere I look, prevents me from buying one while I wait for the 670 to come out. Going to have a pile of parts pretty soon that will just be sitting around until I get a new GPU (and maybe a new CPU/Mobo/Ram too...)

 

[ZetaEpyon]

Really nice looking build. Can you remove any of those HDD Bays or are they all connected together?

And I'm kinda glad that the 680 is basically OOS everywhere I look, prevents me from buying one while I wait for the 670 to come out. Going to have a pile of parts pretty soon that will just be sitting around until I get a new GPU (and maybe a new CPU/Mobo/Ram too...)

Thanks, it worked out pretty well, I think.

You can remove the trays obviously, but the frame is all one unit. I think the Define Mini has a removable set?

 

[snack]

crucial 256gb ssd now 199 at amazon, newegg, buy blah bla...bla..
i bought at 128gb just a month ago at 150....

It's time for me to buy! Sa-wag.

 

[InertiaXr]

My monitor is starting to get a strong blue hue for 10-15 seconds a couple times a day, then goes away. My birthday is in a few days so I've asked my girlfriend to get me a new one, is there any reason to not have her get the top rated 24" 1080p monitor on newegg, this one? I really wish it wasn't fucking glossy but otherwise it seems to be what I need, has HDMI and displays stuff...

 

[faceless007]

Does anyone know where I can buy those PCI brackets with USB 2.0 ports that just plug into motherboard headers? You'd think they'd be common but I can't find them on Newegg.

 

[Mr Swine]

My monitor is starting to get a strong blue hue for 10-15 seconds a couple times a day, then goes away. My birthday is in a few days so I've asked my girlfriend to get me a new one, is there any reason to not have her get the top rated 24" 1080p monitor on newegg, this one? I really wish it wasn't fucking glossy but otherwise it seems to be what I need, has HDMI and displays stuff...

Are you sure its the screen that is doing that and not the GPU?

 

[mkenyon]

Really noob PC graphics card question.

I inherited a PC from my family. I'd like to play Diablo 3 on it (as well as maybe try out some other PC games). I have no idea where to start with knowing where / how to find a graphics card. I read through the OP and some pages in the thread and I started kinda becoming a bit familiar with some terminology and stuff but still very beginner.

First, the computer:

AMD Sempron 145 Processor
2.80 GHz, 2 GB of RAM
No graphics card?
Biostar a780l3b motherboard
430W Power Supply

So, my brother came over and cracked open the case. He confirmed I had no graphics card... so I definitely need one. Also - I have another slot open for RAM, so I'm thinking another 2 gig stick ought to do it.

I'm looking for graphics card recommendations probably around $100 if I can swing it that low. Probably $150 tops. I'm not looking for something to run D3 at MAX SETTINGS but something that would run it comfortably.

Thanks!

That processor is going to leave you wanting. You can scan ebay, craigslist, and some other places, but look for a Phenom II X4 if possible. That plus something like a 6850 or GTX460 ought to do you well. You're pretty open on RAM choices since it's DDR3, and you can go up to 1.65V no problem for the voltage rating.

Does anyone know where I can buy those PCI brackets with USB 2.0 ports that just plug into motherboard headers? You'd think they'd be common but I can't find them on Newegg.

I have a ton laying around. PM me your address and I'll send some over.

crucial 256gb ssd now 199 at amazon, newegg, buy blah bla...bla..
i bought at 128gb just a month ago at 150....

Word on forumland is that the big boys are aggressively loss leading to edge the small ones out of the market.

 

[larvi]

Does anyone know where I can buy those PCI brackets with USB 2.0 ports that just plug into motherboard headers? You'd think they'd be common but I can't find them on Newegg.

Here's a 2 port:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200086

And a 4 port:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200523

I couldn't find any USB 3.0 ones on Newegg but I do see them on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motherboard-20-Pin-2-Port-USB-3-0-Female-Backplate-/230667832545

Edit - found a USB 3.0 one on Newegg as well:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812400100

 

[faceless007]

Oh I should have been searching for "adapter." Exactly what I was looking for, thanks!

 

[InertiaXr]

Are you sure its the screen that is doing that and not the GPU?

Oh hmmmm no I guess not. My GPU is a gtx 460 and I bought it right when Sandy Bridge came out, while my monitor is about 4 years old now so I just assumed that was the problem. I assume the only way to test which thing is faulty is to try a new GPU or monitor.

 

[larvi]

Oh I should have been searching for "adapter." Exactly what I was looking for, thanks!

yw, I used "usb back plate" to search. They really have nothing to do with PCI though as the same back plates are used for PCIE,PCI,ISA,VLB,EISA, etc.

 

[Squall ASF]

Yes, the frame is usually on the output side of the fan. Most fans will also have a pair of arrows somewhere on the outside that indicate the direction of rotation and the direction of the airflow.

FUUUUU. I guess I don't grasp the technology. I reasoned that the blades blow air outward so I aimed the front fan blades towards the inside to blow cool air in there and my top fan blades upward to blow out and the back blades outward to blow out. So basically, I did this completely wrong and need to turn them all back around, correct?

 

[Hazaro]

I dunno, SpeedFan said 59 C after seven straight minutes. (shrug)

Use realtemp and coretemp to verify.

3570kIB or 2500kSB?

I don't know who to listen to. The 2500 should be just as fast for games, others say the 3570 is faster at the same clockspeed (how the fuck does that even work?). That thermal paste in the IB proc looks dodgy. But I hate buying the 'old' processor when the new one is just 25 euro more.

What happened to the good old days when choosing a processor wasn't more difficult than just picking the highest amount of MHZs your budget would allow?

3570K has had some tweaks, so it's about 5% faster at the same speed (more efficiency at processing). Besides running 15W less at load, that's about all it's benefits. 25 euro is a lot, so go for 2500K, or go with Ivy and run it undervolted to save you on idle costs to sort of try to make up the cost difference.

Easy rule: Under 1k = 2500K, Over 1k = 3570K

Since i can't find a Coolermaster Hyper 212+ for a decent price, near my area, is the Hyper TX3 EVO a good alternative? I read it has push-pin installations, instead of a backplate, is that gonna hold well?

TX3 is much worse.

No 212 or 212 EVO?

 

[Trey]

Can anyone recommend a build that literally only needs to be able to play movies and the like, connect to and browse the internet, support a wireless kb/m, and display on a HDTV.

I checked out some barebone kits, and they didn't really seem to be what I was looking for.

So I took the cheapest build from the OP and started subtracting from there. Looking to spend ~300 all told.

 

[t-ramp]

That processor is going to leave you wanting. You can scan ebay, craigslist, and some other places, but look for a Phenom II X4 if possible. That plus something like a 6850 or GTX460 ought to do you well. You're pretty open on RAM choices since it's DDR3, and you can go up to 1.65V no problem for the voltage rating.

Another option is to get a better motherboard that can unlock the Sempron's dual-core potential. They are kind of fun to overclock as well and you can get *decent* dual-core performance from them.

 

[faceless007]

Since I'm getting a 128GB SSD for my new build to add to my current 1.5TB Caviar Black, I've been trying to figure out which is better: Use it as an OS/apps drive and the HDD as storage, or use it as an Intel SRT cache. I've heard of some people combining the two; making part of the SSD into an SRT partition and using the rest for OS/apps. Doesn't seem like there's a clear answer as to which is better, anyone have any thoughts?

 

[UrbanRats]

The new model is the Hyper 212 Evo

TX3 is much worse.

No 212 or 212 EVO?

Found and bought the 212 EVO, thanks guys.

 

[abasm]

I keep forgetting to post my final build here. No longer!

Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 w/ 5 fans total (2 front intake, 1 side intake, 1 rear exhaust, 1 top exhaust)
CPU: i5 2500k @ 4.5 GHz (~1.37V under load)
Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212+ (Keeps temps under 70C)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H (Graphical UEFI/BIOS is blowing my mind.)
RAM: 8 GB G. Skill Ripjaws X @ 1333 MHz (I keep a lot more stuff idling in the background now.)
PSU: Antec BP550 Plus 550W (Modular cabling is also blowing my mind. Truly, we live in a blessed age.)
SSD: Crucial M4 64GB (Still not used to booting in under 10 seconds. Coolest thing ever.)
HDD: Samsung F3 500 GB (Because 64 GB is pretty darn tight.)
DVD: ASUS DRW-24B1ST (It works. That's good enough.)
GPU: Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6870 @ 1000/1200/1250mV (Getting 6900-level performance is pretty awesome.)

Thanks, GAF! The build was a resounding success, and I couldn't have done it without you.

 

[Spirit of Jazz]

Got my I5 to 4.5 with temps under 50 and a voltage between 1.24 and 1.28, rand stable in prime for 6 hours so I think it's good.

Booted up heaven to test my gear and was moderately happy with my HD7850. Booted up Afterburner, slid the core clock on the card from 900 to 1050 and I'm elated with the results. Practically no change to the temperature (doesn't go above 40) and the FPS doesn't fall below 40 any more.

 

[Karmum]

Corsair 550D, Antec P280 or Fractal R3? Willing to go as high as $140 for the Corsair if it's that much better than the other two.

Also, not sure how the stock fans are in these cases, but will probably have to pick up a better fan cause summers in New Jersey are pretty brutal.

 

[Takuya]

I'm building a new rig, I really fought long and hard over which case I was going to go with, but eventually settled on the Corsair 800D, the Cooler Master HAF X a close second.

So far these are the components of my build. I haven't yet committed to adding water cooling to my entire system yet, so the H100 for my CPU will suffice for the time being.

 

[mkenyon]

Also, not sure how the stock fans are in these cases, but will probably have to pick up a better fan cause summers in New Jersey are pretty brutal.

Fractal's fans are quiet, but don't push a lot of air. Certainly adequate for any single GPU system though.

Corsair fans are.... less than adequate. I don't think the extra money for the Corsair case is worth it over the fractal Define or Define mini though.

@Abasm
Best cable management job I've seen in a HAF 922/912 right there. Kudos.

 

[cartman414]

I'm building a new rig, I really fought long and hard over which case I was going to go with, but eventually settled on the Corsair 800D, the Cooler Master HAF X a close second.

So far these are the components of my build. I haven't yet committed to adding water cooling to my entire system yet, so the H100 for my CPU will suffice for the time being.

Why the Z68 mobo?

Plans on an SSD? Already going high-end.

 

[Leckan]

Is there any noticable difference in horsepower usage on 1920x1080 vs 1980x1200 in the latest games?

 

[Big Chungus]

hows the apple wireless keyboard for gaming?

i was thinking of getting one since I always connect my pc to my tv in the living room.

 

[mkenyon]

hows the apple wireless keyboard for gaming?

i was thinking of getting one since I always connect my pc to my tv in the living room.

Bad, it's bluetooth.

If you want something similar, and have an unobstructed shot from keyboard to wireless receiver - Rapoo makes a solid product, and the only complaints I and others have had is the aforementioned obstructed signal.

 

[Big Chungus]

Bad, it's bluetooth.

If you want something similar, and have an unobstructed shot from keyboard to wireless receiver - Rapoo makes a solid product, and the only complaints I and others have had is the aforementioned obstructed signal.

I thought bluetooth was good because it has a solid connection?

 

[Shambles]

I thought bluetooth was good because it has a solid connection?

Yeah, BT doesn't need LOS. BT however is generally a pig on batteries. Newer BT revisions are improving on power efficiency though.

Is there any noticable difference in horsepower usage on 1920x1080 vs 1980x1200 in the latest games?

About 11%.

 

[Isocr4cy]

How large of a PSU should I get for a P8Z77 motherboard, a 3770K CPU, and a GTX 680? 8 years back I had a PSU explode on me after buying a single upgrade for my then PC so I'm always a bit paranoid when buying one.

Edit: Nevermind, just noticed the enthusiast build in the OP.

 

[Leckan]

About 11%.

Which translates in how many frames in say, Battlefield 3 and The Witcher 2?

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, BT doesn't need LOS. BT however is generally a pig on batteries. Newer BT revisions are improving on power efficiency though.

Higher latency.

Which translates in how many frames in say, Battlefield 3 and The Witcher 2?

11% is a hard number that you can then apply to how many frames a computer would get in said game. If you get 100FPS, it would then be 89FPS.

 

[Hagi]

Man i really want to get into PC gaming but i feel so out of my depth thankfully the OP is starting to clear some things up for me. Will the standard build be able to play something like Battlefield 3 on high? or would i be better going with a version of the Enhanced build. I'd really just like something where i won't run into any problems trying to play anything i throw at it.

I've got a budget of £700

 

[Takuya]

Why the Z68 mobo?

Plans on an SSD? Already going high-end.

Yea, already got 2 SSDs to use in the new build, with a 2TB HDD for storage.

 

[mkenyon]

Man i really want to get into PC gaming but i feel so out of my depth thankfully the OP is starting to clear some things up for me. Will the standard build be able to play something like Battlefield 3 on high? or would i be better going with a version of the Enhanced build. I'd really just like something where i won't run into any problems trying to play anything i throw at it.

I've got a budget of £700

Depends on your requirements. For 60FPS? Standard probably won't get you quite there. Enhanced should do pretty well.

Only played a weekend of BF3, the beta weekend, so there may have been driver improvements since then. But, I had to put it at High to get a steady 60+FPS with a 5.0Ghz 2500K and SLI 560Tis. Ultra high was kind of playable, but not quite smooth enough.